1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to software for generating and manipulating computer-implemented planning calendars, and more particularly to a system and method of multi-layered online calendaring and purchasing.
2. Description of Background Art
Conventional software applications for calendaring and scheduling generally take one of two forms: stand-alone or networked. In a stand-alone calendaring application, some sort of user interface is provided which allows a user to specify dates and times for events. Events may then be viewed on a day-by-day, week-by-week, or month-by-month basis, depending on the user""s wishes. In many such applications, selective viewing of certain predefined categories of events is provided.
An example of a stand-alone calendaring application is xe2x80x9cIn Controlxe2x80x9d by Attain Corporation. Many other calendaring applications are available which offer similar features. In xe2x80x9cIn Controlxe2x80x9d, three views of the user""s calendar information are available: Outline, Calendar, and Day. Outline View allows the user to view events in a list format, and also permits hierarchical arrangement of the event descriptions. A date and time can be associated with each event, and the user can also specify other types of information, such as priority, description, and the like. In Calendar View, a conventional calendar is displayed. Events from the Outline View are shown on the calendar in their appropriate locations according to the date associated with each event. The user can specify the range of dates to be displayed, such as for example one week, two weeks, or one month. In Day View, events for a single day are shown on a display resembling a conventional paper day-planner. Items having a specific time are shown within the daily schedule at the appropriate time. Events not having a specific time are listed in a xe2x80x9cTo-Doxe2x80x9d list next to the scheduled events.
Stand-alone calendaring applications, such as xe2x80x9cIn Controlxe2x80x9d, are effective for managing one""s calendar, but they do not provide an easy mechanism for importing events from an outside source in an automated manner. For example, if a user is planning to attend a baseball game at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, the entry for the baseball game must be manually entered in the calendaring application. Such applications do not provide an easy way to automatically import such information from, for example, a list of sporting events from an outside source. The following disadvantages present themselves:
Manual entry of events is prone to errors;
If the scheduled event changes, the user may not be aware of the change and may fail to reflect it in the calendar; and
The above-described method does not provide a way to inform the user of events that may be of possible interest.
In addition, stand-alone applications do not provide the capability of sharing one""s calendar information with other users.
Some prior art calendaring applications operate in a networked environment and thereby allow sharing of calendar information. Individuals"" calendar information can be shared across a network connection (if the owner of the information grants permission for such access). Applications such as Microsoft Outlook, from Microsoft Corporation, provide this type of functionality. However, such applications do not generally provide the ability to import event information from outside sources on a category-by-category basis, and then to select individual events from selected categories for inclusion in a user""s personal calendar. Furthermore, such applications do not provide a multi-layered calendaring system wherein events belonging to different categories and selected by a user can be overlaid on one another in a single integrated calendar.
Relatively recently, hosted calendaring applications have been developed which store, in a central location, all calendaring information for a large number of users. Such prior art systems include, for example, appoint.net (www.appoint.net), Yahoo! Calendar (calendar.yahoo.com), and EventCenter from Amplitude Software Corp. (www.amplitude.com). Users access their calendar information across a network, such as the Internet, and security is assured by requiring that each user provide a login and password when accessing the system.
Some of these hosted calendaring systems allow users to add events from outside sources to their personal calendars, if desired. In general, however ever, such capability is limited in its flexibility. In particular, none of these calendaring systems allow a user to select a category of events, and subsequently add individual events from the category to a personal calendar. Furthermore, none of these systems provide a multi-layered calendaring system wherein events belonging to different categories and selected by a user can be overlaid on one another in a single integrated calendar.
What is needed is a calendaring application that allows a higher level of flexibility in the way events can be imported and viewed.
What is further needed is a calendaring application that permits a user to select categories of events that are of interest, and which provides features allowing a user to add selected events from those categories to his or her personal calendar.
What is further needed is a calendaring application that allows a user to associate layers with certain subsets of events, and to selectively view any desired combination of layers in an integrated manner on a personal calendar page.
What is further needed is a calendaring application that allows a user to share selected calendar information, including selected events, with other users.
What is further needed is a calendaring application that allows a user to purchase products, services, or tickets associated with an event, using on-line communication means.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a multi-layered online calendaring and purchasing system and method which allows a user to specify categories of events, to view events belonging to the specified categories from outside sources, and to add selected events from the outside sources to a personal calendar. The user can choose which categories of selected events are to be displayed, in any combination he or she desires. The user""s personal calendar can also be shared with other users, or selected events and/or categories can be shared, as desired. The user can set up a group calendar, specifying the members in the group, where every group member can access the calendar and make changes to it. Different levels of access can be specified for different members of the group. The user can also import events from other users"" calendars. In addition, purchases of products, services, or tickets can be effected using links associated with displayed events.
A user logs onto the calendaring system by providing a unique login name and password that identifies the user and allows the system to retrieve that user""s personal calendar and associated information. In one embodiment, as described below, the calendaring system is hosted on a server that is connected to the Internet, and the user logs in by interacting with the server via a web page.
Once the user has logged in, he or she can enter any of several different areas of the system, in order to perform different types of activities. An Event Directory allows the user to select categories of events that are of interest. An Event Tracker allows the user to view events associated with selected categories, to obtain more details concerning such events, and to selectively add events to the user""s personal calendar. A My Calendar area provides several views of the user""s personal calendar, including events that were selected using the Event Tracker, as well as events that have been manually added by the user. In the My Calendar area, the user is able to view and manipulate any of these events. Finally, a What""s New area is available for alerting the user to new categories and events that may be of interest; this area may also be used to emphasize particularly important events.
The Event Directory provides listings of event categories, preferably arranged by area of interest. Event categories include, for example, movie opening dates, sporting events, computer tradeshows, and the like. Users can develop their own event categories and share them with other users by publishing them on the Event Directory. The user can click on any event category and view a list of events belonging to that category. Additional information can be obtained for each of the events. The user can choose to select any event categories for inclusion in the Event Tracker. The user can also select a xe2x80x9clocalizedxe2x80x9d option which restricts events to those located in the user""s city, state or other region.
The Event Tracker displays a list of events belonging to the selected categories. The user can select from several different views of the displayed events and can also choose to view one category at a time, or all categories at once. Events can be sorted by date or by category, as desired. The user can click on a button to add a particular event to his or her personal calendar. In addition, the user can click on a button for online ordering and purchasing of products, services, or tickets as appropriate for the particular event.
The My Calendar area provides an extremely flexible and configurable personal calendar. The user can choose from daily, weekly, or monthly views, and can select particular categories of events to be displayed, or can choose to see all events. Thus, the system provides a multi-layered calendar, where each layer corresponds to an event category. Viewing multiple categories simultaneously provides an integrated personal calendar showing all events in one place. The user can add appointments and other events manually in the My Calendar area, and such events are displayed alongside events that were selected in the Event Tracker. The user can also specify that he or she would like to be notified when an event is about to occur, either by e-mail or by some other communications means. Finally, the user can specify whether he or she would like to share the personal calendar with other users.